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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Fan-Ni Hsia, School of Education, University of Southern California, 305 West Newby Ave, #C, San Gabriel, CA 91776, 626-289-6963, hsia.fanni@gmail.com and Donna Spruijt-Metz, Institute For Prevention Research, University of Southern California, 1000 south Fremont ave. HSA 4101, Alhambra, CA 91803.

Previous studies have shown that meanings are powerful determinants to adolescent smoking. The present study extended prior works on meanings of smoking to Asian-American college students, an underserved ethnic group at high risk for smoking, and explored 1) meanings of smoking frequently endorsed by students, 2) the associations between meanings and smoking, and 3) gender differences in meanings of smoking in order to develop insights into smoking prevention efforts for Asian populations. In Phase I, we conducted 50 individual interviews, combining using our prior data from group interviews and reviewing existing literature on meanings, to develop the Meanings of Smoking Index for Asian-American college students (MSI-AACS), a 24-item scale assessing what smoking means to students. In Phase II, the web-based MSI-AACS was distributed to the participating sites. A total of 460 Asian students completed the surveys. Participants in both phases were recruited from two postsecondary institutions in Southern California. The 24 items were ranked ordered according to the rates of endorsement and strength of their relationships with smoking. Spearman's correlation coefficient was run to compare results between genders. Results showed that dealing with boredom, alcohol use, and social meanings (i.e., Smoking makes me feel comfortable in social situations) were highly endorsed and strongly related to smoking. Gender differences on the relationships between meanings and smoking was also found, indicating that the determinants of smoking may vary across genders. Future smoking interventions should focus on helping students to regulate unpleasant feelings, and take alcohol use and gender differences into account.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• List three meanings that college students frequently attach to smoking and three meanings that are most strongly related to student’s smoking behaviors.
• Recognize that the determinants of smoking may vary across genders and the development of gender-tailored smoking prevention programs is needed.
• Develop appropriate guidelines for smoking prevention and cessation efforts for Asian American college students.

Keywords: College Students, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered